Guiding Principles

The pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR) process is designed to bring consistency and clarity to the assessment of cancer drugs by reviewing clinical evidence, cost-effectiveness, and patient perspectives, and using this information to make recommendations to Canada's provinces and territories (except Quebec) in guiding their drug funding decisions.

The following guiding principles have been developed in consultation with key stakeholders, most notably the patient advocacy community.

Governance
A review process with governance structures that are fair, objective, transparent, and accountable to patients, health care funders, and the public.

Health System Focus
Cancer treatment drugs are evaluated within a review process and decision-making framework consistent with those used for drugs for other diseases.

Representation
A review process that is multidisciplinary, cross-jurisdictional, and collaborative in nature, and includes appropriate input from key stakeholders and links to other key national initiatives.

Excellence
A review process that reflects an ongoing commitment to excellence through incorporation of best practices in a spirit of continuous quality improvement.

Evidence-Based
A review process with capacity for rigorous and consistent evidence-based clinical and pharmacoeconomic reviews to support evidence-based decision-making.

Ethical Framework
A review process that includes an ethical framework.

Efficient and Effective
A review process that is cost-efficient, effective, and streamlined (i.e., reduced duplication) to support timely decision-making.

Evaluation
A review process with capacity for data capture and ongoing evaluation (decision monitoring/performance measurement) to support continuous process improvements, as well as the capacity for health outcomes and economic impact analysis to support decision-making and planning.